Game One – West Virginia 8, Hagerstown 4 Game Two – Hagerstown 9, West Virginia 3

Looking heavenward for help?

�

�

�

�

�

Indianapolis Indians �8, �Charlotte Knights �5 (box)

�

The Indians posted 14 hits on their way to 8 runs tonight at Victory Field. �The win gives the Indians a win of this 4-game series (3 games to 1) and the season series (6 games to 2) over the Charlotte Knights. �RF�Brandon Moss led the offense by going 3-for-3 at the plate, with a double, an RBI, and a walk. �3B�Akinori Iwamura, CF�Alex Presley, 1B�Jonathan Van Every, and 2B�Brian Friday each had 2 hits, and Presley smacked his 4th home run in his 30 games with the Indians.

�

The game began with Tribe starter Brian Burres (photo) getting into and out of a jam. �Back-to-back singles by Knights' CF Alejandro De Aza and 2B Luis Rodriguez, and a walk to RF Stefan Gartrell loaded the bases before Burres could record an out. �DH Josh Kroeger flied out to left field, but it was too short for De Aza to tag up and try to score from third base. �Then Burres got C Tyler Flowers to ground to Aki Iwamura, who started the around-the-horn double play, Iwamura to Brian Friday to Jonathan Van Every (5-4-3). �Big sigh of relief from the Indians' dugout and the fans in the stands.

�

(Photo: �Brian Friday at second base)

Burres retired the Knights in order in the next two innings. �Things got messy again in the top of the 4th. �Stefan Gartrell and Josh Kroeger walked on 9 pitches (one strike for Kroeger). �Burres again got Tyler Flowers to bounce into a double play, this time grounding to Argenis Diaz at shortstop, who started the 6-4-3 play (Diaz to Friday to Van Every). �That erased Kroeger, but put Gartrell on third base. �Gartrell scored when LF Buck Coats grounded up the middle for a single. �3B Brent Morel also reached base on a single to short, but Burres got a ground out to end the inning.

The Indians' bats had been held to just a walk to Brandon Moss in the 2nd inning and a line drive single by C Luke Carlin in the 3rd inning. �Both Moss and Carlin tried to steal second base, but only Carlin was successful. �The Tribe batters got going in the 4th inning, with three straight hits. �Aki Iwamura and Alex Presley led off with back-to back singles, both liners into right field. �Moss picked up his first hit of the game with a rocket into right field for a double, scoring Iwamura and moving Presley to third base. �DH Jim Negrych grounded out to second, plating Presley and advancing Moss to third. �Jonathan Van Every also singled, and that brought in Moss from third, to give the Indians a 3-1 lead.

It was a brief lead. �With two outs in the top of the 4th, Luis Rodriguez hit his 5th home run in 5 days, and Stefan Gartrell followed with his 20th homer of the season -- back-to-back homers, and the score was tied 3-3.

Monday's action in the Pirates' lower minor leagues... the Bradenton Marauders have a scheduled day off today.

�

Altoona Curve� 11,� Erie SeaWolves� 2 (box)

RF Miles Durham's grand slam ignited a 9-run 8th inning to lift the Curve over the SeaWolves in the series opener.� Both teams put runners on base in the first four innings, but none of those runners scored.� The Curve got the scoring started in the 5th, when LF Brandon Jones led off with a single and DH Yung Chi Chen brought him across the plate with a double into center field.� CF Anthony Norman singled to score Chen from second base, and the Curve were ahead, 2-0.� The SeaWolves tied the game in the bottom of the 9th.� Curve starter Jeff Locke had allowed two doubles over the first 5 innings and had struck out 9 batters.� With two outs in the 6th, Locke gave up three singles and hit a batter, which gave Erie two runs.

Then came the 8th.� Norman led off with a double, and he scored the go-ahead run on singles by SS Chase d'Arnaud and 1B Matt Hague. A new pitcher, Luis Marte, came in from the bullpen for Erie.� 2B Jordy Mercer was the first batter Marte faced, and Mercer bunted the runners up one base.� C Kris Watts was intentionally walked, then Durham rocketed a grand slam over the left field wall, to give the Curve a 7-2 lead.� Jones followed the home run with a single, and Chen followed that with a 2-run homer, bumping the Curve to 9-2.� The next batter, 3B Josh Harrison, was hit by a pitch, which caused the ejection of Luis Marte and his manager.� The next pitcher got a ground out, then walked d'Arnaud.� A wild pitch put both Harrison and d'Arnaud into scoring position.� Hague grounded to the mound, but a throwing error by the pitcher brought in both Harrison and d'Arnaud, to make it 11-2.� A ground out ended the inning.

Ramon Aguero pitched two scoreless innings of relief for the Curve, with a walk and a double.� Mike Colla pitched the 9th, and gave up only a single.

Probable Pitchers Tuesday, July 27th - 8:40 PM: LHP Zach Duke vs LHP Jorge de la Rosa Wednesday, July 28th - 8:40 PM: RHP Ross Ohlendorf vs. RHP Aaron Cook Thursday, July 29th - 3:10 PM: LHP Paul Maholm vs. RHP Ubaldo Jimenez

We have seen many shocked reactions from players, media and fans since the Pirates designated Brendan Donnelly for assignment following yesterday’s loss to the Padres. Apparently, he was very well liked in the clubhouse, particularly among his peers in the bullpen. I understand that it is tough to lose a teammate, especially a strong leader such as Donnelly. But is anyone actually surprised by this move?

For those that don't follow the players who have yet to come stateside,I figured I'd give a brief description of the players I think...

If Maholm is traded, what will his legacy be as a Pirate? It’s my contention that he is the best pitcher the Pirates have had in the new millennium. Admittedly, that is damning him with faint praise.

�

�

�

�

�

Home plate umpire Chris Ward and manger Frank Kremblas discuss an ejection.

�

�

�

�

�

Charlotte Knights� 3,� Indianapolis Indians� 2 (box)

�

Indians' starter Daniel McCutchen (photo, making a pickoff throw to first base) suffered another tough loss this afternoon at Victory Field.� Like in his previous four starts, McCutchen gave up 3 runs (it was 2 runs on June 21st) but did not get enough run support to get the win.� Today McCutchen pitched 8 innings, his longest start of the season, and threw 101 pitches (67 strikes).� Other than a 3-inning rain-shortened start in May, this was McCutchen's first start in which he did not strike out anyone.

McCutchen gave up just 6 hits in his 8 innings.� The first hit, to Knights' lead-off batter CF Alejandro De Aza to begin the game, was erased when De Aza was thrown out by C Luke Carlin trying to steal second base.� After two of the hits, a double by RF Stefan Gartrell in the 4th and a single to De Aza in the 8th, the runner was left on base.� (McCutchen retired the side in order in 3 innings.)

That left just three hits that were a problem for McCutchen.� LF Josh Kroeger led off the top of the 2nd inning with a line drive single into center field.� He moved to second base when 3B Brent Morel grounded slowly to third base -- 3B Jim Negrych charged the ball, but had only the one play at first base.� A balk by McCutchen put Kroeger on third base, but that turned out to not matter.� A moment later, 1B Jeremy Reed put a long fly ball well over the right field wall, landing on the patio beyond the right field corner.� Charlotte up, 2-0.

With one out in the 6th inning, 2B Luis Rodriguez deposited a home run just barely over the wall in the right field corner.� Rodriguez has now homered in each of the three games so far in this series between the Indians and the Knights, and in fact, it is his 4th home run in his last 4 games.

Those were all the hits the Knights needed.

Yesterday, Knight's starter Carlos Torres, who leads the International League in walks with 56, walked 7 batters.� Second in the league in free passes is Charlotte's Lucas Harrell -- today's starter.� Harrell came into the game having walked 53 batters so far in the season.� Unfortunately for the Indians, he left the game with exactly the same number of walks.

The Indians had at least one runner on base in 4 of Harrell's 6 innings, with 6 hits.� Unfortunately, four of those base runners were eliminated on force plays, including two double plays.� DH Kevin Melillo led off the bottom of the 1st with a soft looper into left field.� He was removed when 2B Brian Friday bounced into a double play.� LF Brian Bixler beat out a bunt up the third base line for a hit in the 5th inning, but he was erased when SS Argenis Diaz bounced into a double play.� Diaz slipped a grounder past the Knights' 2B Rodriguez for a single in the 3rd, but Melillo's grounder to first base forced him out at second base (photo).� There wasn't time for a throw to first base on that play.

The remaining force out was part of a rally in the 2nd inning, along with one of the Indians' other hits.� The Knights had just taken a 2-0 lead in the top of the inning, and with one out, Jim Negrych lined a single into center field.� Luke Carlin followed with a grounder right to SS Rob Hudson.� Hudson tossed to second base to force out Negrych, but he airmailed the relay throw to first base, and Carlin was safe at first.� 1B Doug Bernier, lined a double down the right field line and into the corner.� Carlin raced around the bases, scoring from first base, to cut the Knights' lead to 2-1.

�

Sunday afternoon and evening with the Pirates' minor league affiliates.....as usual, the GCL Pirates are off today.� The West Virginia Power and the Hagerstown Suns apparently did not have any sun, and their game was postponed.� They will try for two on Monday.

�

Altoona Curve 6,� Trenton Thunder� 4 (box)

The Thunder thundered early, but the Curve stormed back with 6 runs in the 5th inning for the win.� C Kris Watts and LF/CF Anthony Norman each went 2-for-3, and Norman picked up 2 RBI.�� Starter Tony Watson lasted only 3 innings, and he gave up runs in each of those innings.� A hit batter and an RBI single gave Trenton one run in the 1st inning.� A lead off� home run began the 2nd inning, then a single, a ground-rule double, and a sacrifice fly added 2 more runs in the 2nd.� Another lead-off home run in the 3rd gave the Thunder a 4-0 lead.� Jared Hughes relieved Watson and pitched 5 scoreless innings, scattering 3 hits and 2 walks.� He was credited with the win, since he was the pitcher of record when the Curve took the lead.� Derek Hankins gave up a triple in the 9th, but left that runner stranded to earn his 5th save.

The Curve had posted only 2 hits over the first four innings.� Then came the fireworks in the 5th, when the Curve sent 10 batters to the plate.� DH Brandon Jones opened the inning with a walk, then singles by RF Miles Durham and Watts loaded the bases.� Norman bounced a ground-rule double over the wall in right field, scoring Jones and Durham.� 3B Josh Harrison singled, bringing in Watts.� Norman scored on a throwing error when the Thunder tried to pick-off Harrison.� The Thunder got two outs at that point, 1B Matt Hague singled, plating Harrison.� Hague stole second base, and scored on 2B Jordy Mercer's RBI single.� The Curve had only one hit in the rest of the game, a single by Norman, who was then caught stealing second base.

�

Neil Walker is having an encouraging 2010 season. He got off to a hot start in Triple-A, hitting .321/.392/.560 in 189 plate appearances. On May 25th, he was promoted to Pittsburgh and soon became the everyday second baseman. The 24-year-old has continued to hit at the major league level, posting a .307/.345/.453 line in his first 194 plate appearances. But just below the surface, there are some underlying concerns.

The Pirates demoted rookie pitcher Brad Lincoln to Triple-A Indianapolis after his poor start this afternoon. They also designated veteran reliever Brendan Donnelly for assignment. The team is expected to announce corresponding roster moves before Tuesday's game in Colorado.

I'm a believer San Diego is for real. They swept the Pirates, which doesn't put them in company all that exclusive. But they did it in an impressive fashion.